Last Stand
by ZenWriterZero
Summary: What were Archer's thoughts as he faced Berserker? A story of a final stand against an enemy who was impossible to defeat.


Disclaimer: ( In Brooklyn accent) I don't own nothing to do with Fate/ Stay Night or anything else to do it wit it. (Accent gone) Enjoy! I've been working on this one for awhile. Finally got it done.

Please read and review and point out anything that I may have messed up on. I seek to become a tyrannical grammar dictator. So don't be afraid to point out any mistakes there. Constructive critiques are cool.

Last Stand

I stood facing the giant killing machine before me. Hercules, the strongest hero of the Greeks gazed at me with mismatched eyes full of the murderous rage that defined the Berserker class. Rin, Saber and, heh, _me_, were gone from the mansion. I had told Tohsaka that I would destroy this Servant and she trusted me to do so. I had also given my younger self advice on how he should defeat his enemies. If you can't beat your enemy, visualize something that can.

_I probably shouldn't have done that. It will only encourage him._ But despite this line of thought, a part of me really did hope that he would be able to unlock the power he was born with. _Maybe he'll become a better hero than I am._

Enough speculating. I projected my favorite swords, Kanshou and Bakuya, glared at Berserker, and we began.

Berserker took the offensive, swinging his club down so hard it would have made paste out of me. I leapt back safely, but a part of my cloak was still torn. Even though I dodged the blow!

I heard Iliya chuckle. I'd forgotten how sadistic she was when she was a Master.

I tried to go on the offensive, I leapt in the air and dived at Berseker, but he just roared and broke the swords I had in my hands. Fortunately, I managed to evade the blow unscathed. Or so I thought.

Blood gushed from a wound on my shoulder.

"Peh, I dodged every strike and still…" Could he be swinging his weapon with such force that the very air from his strike is able to do harm? If so, this was getting more and more interesting.

"That's it Berserker, finish him off!"

I calmly turned around to regard my opponent. I concentrated on my projection and after an instant, Kanshou and Bakuya were back in my hands. Out of the corner of my eye, it seemed that Iliya was a bit surprised. But I didn't turn to gloat. Berserker was upon me again, this time I was completely on the defensive, trying to make sure that his blows got nowhere near me. I tried to find an opening to exploit, but I just couldn't find one. His blows started coming faster and faster and then, checkmate. Another blow came for my head. This one would have split me in half. With no choice I had to block him dead on. With my reinforced muscles and abilities as a heroic spirit, I managed to hold my own…for about 5 seconds. Then Berserker just flexed a little and I was sent flying _into_ a wall.

_ Ow._ I grit my teeth in pain. _In hindsight, maybe trying to outmuscle the strongest hero of Greek legend wasn't the greatest of ideas. _

I sighed as I fell out of the man shaped crater that was now in the wall.

"Those things were weak. They broke almost as soon as you called them. Did you really think a Noble Phantasm like that could beat Berserker?" Then she hmphed like a rich snob and said, "get him Berserker!"

But Berserker was staring down at my hunched form. What little that remained of his mind must be wondering if I was insane or not.

Because when I'd landed from falling out of that hole in the wall, I had started smiling.

"I guess he is as tough as the legends say." This was good. This way I could go all out and besides, I've always liked a good challenge.

I leapt backwards onto the balcony behind me. With a growl, Berserker quickly followed.

_"I am the bone of my sword."_

With those words I summoned my bow and projected Caladbolg. I quickly notched the spiral bladed sword and launched it at Berserker. It turned into a shaft of pure energy and hit perfectly, while also giving the mansion the benefit of a new giant skylight. The destruction probably wasn't as great as what Saber's Excalibur could do, but it was still pretty damn powerful.

But not powerful enough it seemed in this case. Because when the smoke cleared, Berserker was standing on the floor below me panting. I stared at the giant with concern in my eyes.

"That would have killed any normal Servant. Almost instantly," I murmured my worried thoughts. A moment later, Berserker stood up and roared a challenge to me. Deciding that we needed a change in scenery, I leapt through the new skylight toward the roof.

"Berserker! Go get him!" I heard Illya shout.

_That's right big guy, come and get me._

I stood on the railing and looked down at the roof. Coming up with a plan that should put Berserker down for good.

Just as I had finished thinking my plan through, I sensed Berserker come up behind me. I jumped down from the railing as Berserker tried to crush me again. When he missed, he swung himself up onto the roof from the railing.

"Aren't you surprisingly nimble," I called out. Part taunting part complementing. Berserker leapt forward at me and when his feet touched the middle of the roof, most of his body disappeared into the roof as it collapsed under his weight.

_Perfect. _I thought. This was the first part of my plan. Now Berserker would be at my mercy for a few moments. All the time I needed.

_"Steel is my body, and fire is my blood."_

I said the second part of my chant as I projected Kansho and Bakuya again. Instead of charging Berserker though, I threw my swords. They formed beautiful, deadly arks before they hit their target. Unfortunately, they just bounced off Berserker's skin with no more than a grunt from the giant. But that was ok.

_"I have created over a thousand blades."_

Projecting yet another pair of my twin swords, I let them fly again. Being twin swords, Kansho and Bakuya were connected. As long as one exists, the other will try to get back to it.

The second pair of Kansho and Bakuya attracted the first pair that bounced off Berserker, they all formed a gleaming cage of steel that encircled Berserker until they impacted. And thanks to the added punch I added to the second pair by overloading them with my mana, they all exploded when they hit him.

Judging by the pained roar that came from Berserker, he really felt that one.

I rushed forward and prepared my coup de grace.

_"Unknown to death, nor known to life."_

This part of my poem is the part that has the most truth to it. I've never really lived life, and I've never known the peace of death.

Once more, Kansho and Bakuya formed in my hands. But this time I brought my hands behind my back, and activated the Overedge. Kanshou and Bakuya's most powerful form. The swords grew to almost three times their normal length and splintered into what looked like feathers. Holding the swords behind me, I looked like I had wings.

There was a chant engraved on the blades, it was key to using their full power and normally I would have said the entire thing, but right now Berserker was getting loose, crawling out of the hole, I had to finish this _now_, so I only said the parts of the chant that I really needed right now.

_"Strength moves mountains."_

_ "Blade cuts water."_

With this I leapt into the air and imbued my swords with their limit of mana. And then I descended. I put all my strength into this next blow, determined to finish this!

Berserker had just managed to climb out of the hole when I brought my swords down on his shoulders.

The results were perfect. Berserker's upper body was practically split into three parts. I don't care what epic hero or class of Servant you are, that is a fatal blow.

But something was wrong, Kansho and Bakuya were supposed to disappear in a flash of feathers after using their Overedge form. But what I felt from the swords seemed like something was…backed up or overloaded. _Oh no._

I dropped the swords and leapt backwards as quickly as I could. But I was a little slow because when they exploded my left arm was caught in the blast.

I landed in a crouch and grabbed my left arm. Judging by the pain and the way it now hung uselessly at my side no matter how hard I tried to use it, it was totally out of commission. Troubled by this, I voiced the question that was on my mind.

"What did I do wrong?" I've used projection thousands of times. I know Kansho and Bakuya inside and out no matter what form they're in, there's no way that that should have happened!

As I was thinking about how I could have messed up my projection, the answer literally moved in front of me.

Berserker's wounds were healing. And that shouldn't be possible unless…_Oh._

"Interesting, now I understand." Resurrection spells. Multiple layers of resurrection spells. Meaning he literally has 9 lives. Or rather, now that I think about it, probably 12 lives to symbolize the 12 Labors of Hercules. So in order to defeat him, you have to kill him 12 times. And to make things even more difficult, the nature of Berserker's resurrection spells probably adapted to anything that actually takes one of his lives. In other words, you can't kill him with the same method over and over again. Whether this knowledge came from just observing Berserker or from the memories of when I went through the Holy Grail War was unknown to me. And at the moment, I had bigger concerns.

Because if this was his Noble Phantasm, 12 lives that you have to take them one by one with a different method each time. Add in the fact that Berserker is extremely hard to kill even once and factor in his outrageous strength and combat ability…

"He is indeed the most powerful Servant of all."

The smoke from the explosions cleared. Berserker's wounds were completely healed and he was out of the hole. I was wounded and couldn't escape. Do the math.

He charged.

Instead of lying down and taking it, I stood up and offered him a cocky smirk and a "hmph."

Berserker hit me with the force of a freight train. I was launched backwards into a nearby wall for the second time. The impact jarred my skull…

My younger self, Emiya Shirou, looked at me with eyes unafraid and confident., a small smirk on his lips that was a mirror image of mine but still different somehow.

"Ugh!" The vision faded. I grunted and stepped towards Berserker, ready to meet my fate. As Berserker growled and raised his weapon, I gazed at him without flinching.

He brought his weapon down, I managed to dodge the actual weapon at the last second, but the force of the blow still caught me, and I was forced down through the roof of the mansion.

I fell. I fell for what felt like forever. Funny, it was probably only about 25 meters or so, but it felt like I fell for an entire kilometer. Rin was probably feeling her command seal burn now, signaling that I was gravely wounded. _Oh, _I thought absentmindedly, _I've made her worry, she'll be sure to scold me for that later. _I must have been literally knocked silly from that last blow. This realization came just as I hit the floor with a sickening thud.

I laid there for awhile, thinking that maybe I should just surrender. Let Berserker put me out of my misery, quickly and cleanly. Fighting him was pointless and wouldn't amount to anything. I couldn't win, it was just impossible.

And yet, my body was telling me the exact opposite of what my mind knew. It was telling me that I could still fight. That I _must_ fight. That even if this fight was pointless and impossible, hadn't I been chasing a pointless and impossible dream for all my life?

Then memories filled me, not all of my memories of my time as Emiya Shirou, those were still mostly lost to me, but memories of the conversations we had, all the places that were so nostalgic, the familiar faces, Fuji-nee, Sakura, Issei, Shinji, Illiya, Saber and Rin. All those precious people. And as I thought of my younger self, Rin and Saber, the determination to be a hero seemed to rise in me once again.

"So do you still think it was wise to take on this fight?"

No, it probably wasn't wise at all. Yet the feelings continued to pour into me. And despite everything that I had experienced, every hardship, every betrayal of my ideal, I felt like I still wanted to believe in it.

I opened my eyes.

"I thought I was free from all that," I whispered with a slight amount of disdain in my voice. But that was ok.

"He's alive? There's just no way! Berserker! Stop messing around! There's something funny about this guy…"

_Oh if you only knew._

"I want you to kill him before he kills you, be done with him already!"

The giant leapt through the new skylight and landed in front of me.

Shakily, I got up once again.

"You never did have any mercy did you Illiya?"

Illiya seemed confused by me calling her by her nickname. A name she only let people close to her call her.

"Illiya?"

I ignored her. It was time to pull out all the stops.

"My defeat may be inevitable, but you'll still have to work for it, Berserker."

He didn't answer.

"You can go easy on me if you want, but in the meantime …"

In my right hand, I projected Kanshou,

"I'm gonna take two more of your lives!"

I threw my sword, for a moment, to anyone who was looking, it would have seemed that the sword was going to decapitate Illiya. But it sailed harmlessly past her. Not even taking off a single hair from her head. After all, I knew how proud she was of her hair. And an Onii-san shouldn't do mean things like that to his Onee-chan.

A moment later, Kanshou his right where I was aiming at. The chandelier at the top of the room, and the lights went out and the room was plunged into darkness.

I used the darkness to hide myself while I gathered my mana for my last offensive.

However, after a moment, I felt the moonlight hit me. And Illiya regained her arrogant demeanor.

"Too bad. Guess the moon goddess isn't quite on your side tonight." But that was alright. I didn't need the moon goddess. I've been fighting alone for longer than any person should. The moonlight continued to revealed my crouched form, when I was fully illuminated, I must have looked like a knight in prayer, which I suppose in a way, I kind of was.

_"Have withstood pain to create many weapons."_

Rin looked at me with those resolute eyes I knew so well.

"Berserker!" the giant roared as he ran towards me.

_"Yet, those hands will never hold anything."_

Emiya Shirou looked at me with those determined eyes, as I leapt away, noticing that he clenched his fist in a determination that I had forgotten long ago.

_"So as I pray."_

Rin, Saber, Emiya Shirou, my younger self, _me._

_**"Unlimited Blade Works."**_

I looked up at my charging enemy and smirked. _Try this on for size big guy._

The world became engulfed in flames. Berserker staggered back in surprise and Illiya closed her eyes in fright. When she opened them again, she would see that the entire world around us had changed.

It was a barren wasteland with a sky locked in a permanent autumn sunset. But what really stood out about this place, was not the smell of burning steel, it was not the state of utter desolation, it wasn't even the massive cog wheels that lined the sky, turning in a slow but relentless pace.

What really stood out, were the swords.

Hundreds upon thousands of swords stuck out of the barren ground here. Swords of every design conceivable. Long swords, short swords, broadswords, rapiers, katanas and thousands more. For as far as the eye could see into the horizon and beyond, an infinite amount of swords.

"What's this?" I heard her ask from several meters away.

"A reality marble?"

That's right. _My_ reality marble. A powerful, forbidden magic that gives form to the caster's mind. This place, was quite literally all that I am. If a Noble Phantasm is the mark of an epic hero, then this is my Noble Phantasm. You see, I don't really create swords with my magic. I create an entire world that contains an infinite amount of swords. My projection and reinforcement magics are just a byproduct of my reality marble. But it is in here, that I am at my most powerful.

Berserker surveyed his surroundings for a moment before he turned his eyes back on me.

I stood, bloodied and battered but proud. Staring at my enemy with an unwavering gaze and a confident smirk on my face.

With my one good arm, I grabbed a curved longsword from the ground.

"As you can see, what you face are unlimited blades. The pinnacle of weaponry."

"WELL WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?" I challenged him.

That was enough. He lifted his massive club/sword and ran at me at full speed. I breathed out a sigh, and ran forward as well.

Berserker growled as he ran towards me and I answered with my own growl in return. Then Berserker's growl escalated into a full fledged roar and I answered with a battlecry.

"Rooaaaaaahh!"

"Haaaaaaaaa!"

Berserker brought his weapon down. I spun out of the way and swung my sword with all my might. It easily broke when it hit Berserker, but it left a scratch which seemed to surprise Berserker. I didn't let the broken sword bother me in the least. I just quickly grabbed another sword from the ground and hit him with it, again and again and again.

The sound of clashing and breaking swords soon filled the entire reality marble as I picked up the pace and swords started breaking in the blink of an eye. Berserker grunted with each hit, all my strikes were pretty much just an annoyance to him. But they were a persistent annoyance. And at such close range, he couldn't use his giant weapon to its full potential.

Instead, Berserker tried to punch me with his left arm. I ducked, grabbed a sword and tried to slit his wrist. Servants may be much more durable than humans, but their basic biology is the same. Blood loss affects them to a degree. So if I managed to slit his wrist and keep it open for a while, he would weaken. At least temporarily.

The sword in my hand sliced beautifully, but Berserker took the opportunity to kick me about 50 meters

"AGHHHHHH!" I screamed in pain as I flew backwards, landed and rolled to a very painful stop. I was a bit dazed so Berserker took the opportunity to leap into the air and dive toward me.

"HOOAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRR!"

If this blow hit me, I'm pretty sure there wouldn't be anything left to fill a teaspoon. Fortunately, his roar made me come back to my senses.

"RHO AIUS!" I brought out my strongest protection. The seven petal shield of Rho Aius. Each petal gives the same amount of protection as an entire fortress.

That said, when Berserker hit the shield his blow still took out four petals. But I had him right where I wanted.

"Come on!" I growled out as I applied reinforcement magic to my left arm. I didn't need to heal it, I just needed to use it.

It worked. My arm hurt enough to make me want to scream my guts out, but I was still able to project my bow and aim it right at Berserker's head. This time, I projected two Caladbolg swords and notched them both on my bow at the same time.

I ignored the screaming protests of my arm as I drew back and launched both swords at Berserker's head at point blank range.

THOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMM

_That's two down total. _

I dropped the shield and retreated a moment while summoning Kanshou and Bakuya.

_"Divine skill, flawless and firm."_

I threw them just as Berserker had finished healing. They hit him right in the face and exploded. Perfect.

_"Strength moves mountains."_

I then projected another pair of swords and threw them again. When the smoke cleared Berserker was fully healed. I think his first thought would have been "not again" as he saw another pair of swords spinning towards him.

But this pair only grazed his eyes, blinding him for a moment and went right past him.

_"Blade cuts water."_

I charged him with yet another pair of Kanshou and Bakuya. But as I got within striking distance his eyesight returned.

"HWWAAAAAAOOOOOOOOOORRRRR!"

He didn't bother with swinging his weapon. He just ran forward in an attempt to run me over. It would have worked had I not back flipped and then jammed my swords into Berserker's roaring mouth. But even that didn't take away his 3rd life. But I wasn't done yet.

_"Life approaches the Imperial Villa."_

The swords that took Berserker's sight came spinning toward the back of his head. When they hit, they would explode. Just in time for my next move.

I called yet another pair of the twin swords to my hands and reinforced them into Overedge form for the second time.

_"Two great men shared life!"_

I aimed my next strike at Berserker's mid-section. The Overedge cut into him just as the swords in Berserker's head exploded followed closely by the swords in my hands.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAGHGGGGGH!" I couldn't help but scream as the explosion that took another one of Berserker's lives threw my backwards. Now both my arms were broken as well as my legs, several ribs and my skull might be cracked. My body was now one giant mass of pain.

_Well, I've reached my goal. I took two more of his lives. Should I stop now?_ The question was kind of valid. It was unlikely I could do more in my present state. It would be wise to call it quits now. On the other hand…

_Screw that. New goal, I'm taking three more of his lives!_

Gritting my teeth, I got up yet again. Illiya and even Berserker seemed shocked that I could still get up. I grabbed a pair of swords off the ground and shouted another challenge.

"I'm not done yet! COME ON!" and I sprinted dead ahead at my target.

Berserker swung his weapon at me and I dodged it. This time, I would go on the offensive. I swung my swords with every last bit of power I could muster. They impacted and broke just like before. But this time, the blow forced Berserker back a few centimeters. I picked up new swords and swung. They also forced Berserker back. The swings I was dishing out were far more powerful than any other I had unleashed before. Not willing to give up this opportunity, I kept grabbing swords and attacking.

_Clang. Clang. Crash. Clang. Clang. Clang. Crash. Crash ..clangclangclang.__Clangclang CrashclangcrashClang__..crash__ ..!_

I'm not sure who was more astounded. Berserker or Illiya. Here I was, a mass of broken bones and torn muscles, someone who by all rights should be if not dead already, than at least be should unable to move at all. And on the other hand there was Berserker, Hercules, the mightiest hero of Greek legend and I was forcing him back.

He tried to dig his feet into the ground, but that just made me hit harder. He tried running me over but I was still able to force him back, even if it meant punching him with my bare hands. The bones in my fingers were completely broken, if not powdered from all the abuse I put them through. But that didn't matter. None of it mattered. Not my injuries, not the fact that I couldn't beat Berserker, and not the fact that I was already dead on my feat.

Because at that moment, I was no longer a mysterious Servant with no name. I was no longer an Archer who was out of his league. At that moment, I was a kid again. A stupid kid with a stupid ideal that he believed in with every fiber of his being. A kid who would endure any pain to save other people. Especially those he truly cared for.

The faces of Saber and Rin were all that were in my mind. I would have yelled another battle cry if I had any oxygen left in my lungs. Since that was not the case I let my endless barrage of sword strikes send the message for me.

Realizing that my blows weren't going to stop, Berserker leapt backwards. Which gave him enough room to aim another powerful man splitting strike at me. I couldn't evade this one, so I parried it. Something that completely shocked Illiya. I think I could also see the amazment in Berserker's eyes too.

I ran at Berserker again, determined to hit him as many times as I needed to kill him three more times. But Berserker wouldn't have any of that. As I got near him he hit me in the chest with a knee strike. The strike forced me back about 80 meters and ruined my chest cavity. I should have been finished right then and there, but I wasn't done yet.

Turns out, I landed only about a meter in front of Illiya. Who stood still in her shocked state. Her shock turned to borderline terror as I yet again stood up despite the fact I really should be dead already.

As soon as I stood back up again and Berserker noticed Illiya so close to me. He completely lost it. He let out an insane roar and sprinted towards me with the speed of a cheetah. Berserker always was protective of Illiya. Its something that I've always been thankful to him for. Protecting Illiya as long as he did.

But that didn't mean I was going to go easy on him. Time to let out my ace. With a massive amount of effort, I raised my left hand. It felt like I was lifting a 1000 pound weight. But I managed it. The swords in the ground all took flight and hovered in the sky. Then I pointed right at Berserker.

The rain of swords slowed down the giant. But even as they took one of his lives he still charged forward, intent on protecting his master.

Speaking of which, I turned to regard Illiya. She was still terrified of the sight in front of her. Honestly, I couldn't blame her. I'm pretty sure that the red that covered me was now more from my own blood than it was from the Shroud of Martin I wore.

There was one last thing I needed to do before I finished. So I took a few steps toward Illiya until I was right in front of her. I ignored Berserker's warning howl of rage.

She looked up at with frightened eyes. Frightened from not being able to understand how any Servant could match Berserker.

We stared at each other for a moment that felt far longer than it actually was. I'm pretty sure she thought I was going to kill her right then and there. Especially when I reached out my hand.

She closed her eyes for a moment but then opened them as she felt my hand on her head. Not a sword or a killing blow, just an affectionate pat on the head, like a big brother to his younger sister. She looked up at my face to see me smiling. Not smirking with my usual cockiness or sarcasm. But just a genuine smile.

"Take care of yourself, Illiya-chan."

She said nothing as I turned away from her to face Berserker for the last time. The never ending rain of swords had managed to take two of Berserker's lives before his Noble Phantasm adapted to it. Now the swords only slowed him down. It was a sight straight out of hell. Berserker's body covered in swords, struggling against a relentless tide of swords, his eyes gleaming with madness and murder. I gave him another one of my cocky smirks as I picked up a golden broadsword from the ground and charged for one last time.

I put everything I had left into running toward the Berserker in the storm of swords. I didn't flinch, I didn't waver, I ran without looking back. Just as _she_ did in her life…

Berserker raised his weapon. Determined not to lose a sixth life and end me once and for all. Berserker swung his weapon with all of his might. Which made a deep crater in the ground.

But he missed me. I had dived just behind his weapon and using the last of my strength, with everything I had left, I pierced his heart with my broadsword.

_That makes six._ I thought. But that was it. I had nothing left. Berserker glared at me with rage and for a moment I thought I saw a glimmer of respect in his eyes. But that sight was soon replaced by the sight of his giant bladed club smashing down on me.

For a moment, I wondered why. Why did I fight so hard in this battle? Why did I give my younger self advice on projection? I still felt like I wanted to kill him. To prevent him from trying to become a hero of justice. Prevent him from taking an endless path of failure and regret. So why?

Maybe I just never had the opportunity. Thanks to the injury Saber gave me, I've been out of action for most of the war. Or maybe I just didn't hate him enough. Perhaps that's why I didn't try to kill him. Or perhaps, despite everything, I really did still want to believe in that stupid ideal.

Berserker's club hit me. But I think I was beyond pain at that point. I felt the rest of my body crumble, but it didn't hurt like I thought it would. The blow pounded me into the ground. The Reality Marble, losing its source, began to fade until we were back in the Einzburn castle. I was defeated.

_Ano hi sorenzore ayunda michi ni._

_Ima no boku wa donna fuu ni_

_Iiwake wo sureba ii no darou_

_Kakushi kirenai yowasa kanji_

_Yami kumo ni tsumazuku tabi ni_

_Ano hi no kimi to iu sonzai ga_

_Kono karada wo shimetsukeru_

_Yu ruginai jibun mirai wo chikatte_

_Kimi no sono tsuyoi manazashi wo shinjite_

_Ta bidatta sora kodoku ni mo nita jiyuu_

_Kikikaesu koto wa shitakunai dake_

_On that day we walked our separate ways_

_I wonder what kind of excuses_

_I should come up with now_

_I sense weakness which could not be concealed_

_Every time I stumble blindly_

_Your existence on that day_

_Strangled this body_

_With my firm self I swear to the future_

_That I will believe in those strong eyes of yours_

_The skies I have traveled they have a freedom similar to solitude_

_I only don't want to turn back._

As my consciousness faded, I remembered. I remembered the fire that shaped my life. I remembered the screams, the pleas for help. I remembered how it felt, knowing that I was going to die and how it felt to be saved. I remembered the night Kiritsugu died and the promise I made to him. I remembered a conversation I had with Rin while we watched a sunset. I remembered Sakura's smiling face. Being so happy with just helping me out around the house. I remembered Fuji-nee's pouting expression when I didn't have food on the table in time. I remembered all the fun times with Rin. And I remembered the night I met Saber. An event that was so engraved onto my heart that even with my incomplete memory, I can still recall that scene with perfect clarity. Then I recalled the events that led me to this point. The advice I gave to my younger self before facing rage incarnate.

Now defeated, I would return to my duties as a Counter Guardian. Being summoned to clean up after people who bring chaos to the world. Eliminating…killing people who are a threat to this world whether they be evil or not.

But still, for the moment at least, I was happy.

_Omoi kaeseba yoku nite ita ne_

_Sunao ja nai kotoba da toka_

_Sore yue kitto otagai sama ni _

_nomikonda omoi mo atta _

_Kimochi no mama fuan wo kuchi ni _

_dekiru hodo tsuyoku nakute _

_Tsukamitai yume negai no hasama de _

_jimonjitou ni ri mo rete Yuku bakari _

_Ima no kimi nara konna boku no koto wo_

_hohoemu hitomi de Utsushite kureru kai? _

_Kitareteshimau koto mo aru yo _

_nagasareru jikan mo aru yo _

_Dakedo sou kitto machigai janai kara …_

_sou shinjite wa _

_Hate no nai risou egaita sekai wo_

_tadotte yukeba soko ni wa ano Goro to _

_Kawarazu ni atta kimi no kagayaki ni _

_hora nanimokamo ga Mukuwarete yuku yo _

_Mayoi tsudzuketa tabiji no tochuu ni _

_koukai no kakera de kizu wo otta kedo_

_Sagashi tsudzuketa kotae wa ima koko ni _

_chiisana sono te ga Nigitteita yo…_

_If you recall we were very alike. Right._

_Whether it was our untruthful words_

_Or our retreating figures that pretended to be brave._

_I'm sure the circumstances are the same for the both of us._

_We had our mutual emotions too_

_I'm not strong enough to tell you_

_About my feelings of insecurity_

_The dream I want to grasp I was always being buried_

_By my own answers to my questions within the interval of wishes_

_If it is your present self_

_Will I be reflected in your happy eyes?_

_There are things which will become tainted._

_And time that flows on_

_But that's alright, because it's definitely not a mistake…_

_Yes, I'll believe that._

_An eternal dream, if I keep on tracing the painted world._

_I will find those times and your radiance_

_There which existed without changing._

_See, your will be rewarded everything_

_In the middle of a continuously bewildering journey_

_I bore my wounds within the fragments of regret but_

_The answers I kept on searching for are here now,_

_And I held onto your small hand…_

Because no matter how hard it was to watch as my younger self continued down a such a hard path, a path that held no reward and no end. Despite the frustration of knowing how his story will

turn out, and knowing that nothing I say or do could sway him from that path, despite that, I have to admit one thing.

_It was good to see them all again._

Still, I couldn't help but wonder. It seemed that my younger self had fallen for Saber, did I do the same when I went through the Holy Grail War in my time? I suppose it didn't matter. I was just curious.

Soon my body faded, followed by my signature red shroud. Until the only thing left, was a memento from long ago. Rin's red heart shaped jewel. The jewel she used to save my life.

It stayed there on the floor for a few moments, glowing with magical energy. Until that energy faded and the jewel dimmed and it too began to fade into nothingness.

As I returned to my duty, I repeated what I thought before to myself.

"It was good to see them again. One last time."

Then for a moment, I could have sworn I saw a flash of gold in front of me.

Then I remembered...

Fin


End file.
